I thought this blog would be a nice way to keep people updated with what was going on during my travels. The plan is very loose, but basically we'll be 'doing' SE Asia for about 7 weeks and then driving around South Island New Zealand for just under a month. The idea is to stay 'off the beaten track', but sticking vaguely to recommendations and the 'Lonely Planet' books, thus almost certainly staying firmly on the beaten track.

At the moment I am lying on my bedroom floor surrounded by a mountain of entirely unnecessary camping gear next to a small, frightened looking rucksack. I feel quite thankful for BA's luggage weight limits...

Anyway, as you can probably sense I am clutching at straws (which bodes badly for the future of this blog...), so I will leave and the next time I write will be from the other side of the world (riots, ash clouds, strikes, visas and flights permitting). What could possibly go wrong?!